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Two years waiting – New champ Courtney Daly pushed “the extra mile” by previous defeats


A runner-up last year on a 3-2 split decision, an overjoyed Courtney Daly claimed the Irish Senior (Intermediate) title on Friday night.

The Dubliner opened the show and won the 48kg title with a smart performance to beat Virginia’s Emma Feeney on a unanimous decision.

Whereas last year’s final ended in tears of defeat, Daly was overcome with emotion at the National Stadium at the weekend as she kicked off a brilliant night for Crumlin who would take home three titles.

A delighted Daly spoke to Irish-Boxing.com afterwards and said that “it feels amazing, I’ve been two years waiting for it.”

“I’ve been in boxing a long time but it’s very hard to get a decision at 48kg and I’ve mostly been losing on splits,” she noted before looking back on the win.

“I let her come to me and, as she was coming to me, I was stepping off to the side and getting her with the hook, and just jabbing on the turn.”

The young light fly has been a known talent for a number of years but admits she has been driven on by her recent defeats to current Elite champion Shannon Sweeney.

The 18-year-old has been training hard with Phil Sutcliffe Sr and Bra Brady and described how these losses “make you just want everything more and more.”

“You want it more, when that happens to you it pushes you to go that extra mile to go further.

“In the space of that 12 months, I haven’t stopped training because I wanted it more than anything this year.”

While she was ecstatic with the win, Daly vowed to continue going further.

The younger sister of boxers Aiden and Evan Metcalfe outlined how “straight back into it, no time off, straight back into it for the Elites and the Under-22s, everything I can possibly do, no breaks.”

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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